RANGERS COME BACK LATE AND WIN 

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES

October 1, 2010 – New York Rangers 5, Ottawa Senators 4 SO (Pre-Season: Game No. 5, Home No. 3)

Click Here For The Official Game Summary

The Rangers defeated the Senators, 5-4, in a shootout tonight at Madison Square Garden, to improve to 4-1-0 in pre-season action, including a 3-0-0 mark at home.  Erik Christensen tallied the game-deciding goal in the third round of the shootout, as New York out-scored Ottawa, 2-1.

After a scoreless first period, Brian Boyle opened the game’s scoring at 10:36 of the first period, added an assist in the third period and registered four hits in the contest.  Boyle has now recorded three points (two goals and one assist) in three pre-season games.

Rookie forward Derek Stepan extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 with a shorthanded goal at 15:55, and won a team-high, seven face-offs in 14 attempts.  Stepan, who led all forwards with 21:58 of ice time, also converted his shootout attempt in the second round of the shootout.

After falling behind, 3-2, early in the third period, New York forward Derek Boogaard tallied a goal at 6:31 of the final frame to tie the score at three, and registered a plus-two rating.  Boogaard notched his last goal on January 7, 2006, in a 4-1 win vs. Anaheim as a member of the Minnesota Wild.

Brandon Prust led the Rangers with two assists in the contest, and registered three hits in 9:54 of ice time.

Rangers’ defenseman Marc Staal notched his first goal of the pre-season with 3:59 remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.  Staal also tied for the game-high with five hits, and logged 21:16 of ice time.

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves through regulation and overtime, and turned aside two of three shootout attempts to improve to 3-0-0 in pre-season action.

Dan Girardi registered an assist on Boyle’s second period goal, and led the team with 24:21 of ice time.  Girardi, who led the team and ranked sixth in the league last season with 180 blocked shots, also led all skaters with four blocked shots in the contest.

Brandon Dubinsky tallied the primary assist on Staal’s game-tying goal at 16:01 of the third period, and tied for the game-high with five hits in 17:47 of ice time.

Forward Ruslan Fedotenko recorded an assist on Stepan’s shorthanded goal and registered a plus-two rating.  Fedotenko now leads the team with five assists and six points in four pre-season games.  Defenseman Steve Eminger also registered an assist on Staal’s game-tying goal and logged 21:26 of ice time.

The Rangers will return to action tomorrow, October 2, when they will face-off against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place (7:00 p.m.), to conclude their 2010-2011 pre-season schedule.  The contest will be televised live on MSG.

POST-GAME QUOTES

John Tortorella on Brian Boyle…

“Brian Boyle was much better with face-offs tonight.  He’s had a pretty good Camp here and no one tends to talk about it but he’s been a hell of a guy through Camp.  A guy who knew where he stood in terms of numbers coming in – he’s handled himself pretty well.”

Derek Stepan on how he has played during the pre-season…

“I am happy with what I have done.  I have put my best foot forward.  Whatever happens, happens.  I know I gave it everything I had.  We will see from there.”

Brian Boyle on the team…

“We have a great team with a lot more depth this year.  That is just from guys trying to get better.  We have some new faces obviously but we have guys that just want to get better.  We all want to move to the top and get better.”